Pheasant hunting ! (ammo help needed)

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mike4sigs

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I/we have a hunt scheduled for Nov. 12th in northwest ohio at a Pheasant hunting farm ! i am trying to gather as much info as possiable ! the owner's of the place (Thorn bottom) are suggesting a brand called fichoi?? and said to use #4's or #6's ! i will be using a 20 ga over under with a modified choke in 1 bore and ?? probably improved in the otheir.
i have looked at the box stores (Dick's and Gander mtn)and they have a few varieties but not a big selection !
I am confusing my-self
 
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I hunt Pheasants with my 20 ga. auto with any high brass #6 shot loads w/ imp cyl choke. This works well over dogs. Some midwest hunters use 12 ga with mod or tighter chokes and heavy loads as some of the shots are far, especially lat in the season. Fiochi is good. I happen to use Remington, as thats what I bought last.
 
I hand load all mine.
#5 is a bit of an oddball but worth it for a generic go to load.
shot wrapped loads seem to add a solid 15 yards to a given load.
we can get even more exotic than that yet but only at the loading bench.
the Lee Loadall 2 produces good ammo and costs about 45 bucks.
 
For early season native birds, I use #5 - for pen-raised birds, I'll use #6. Late season will be #4's. If I can find them, I also like BB and BBB shot. Have fun.
 
I've always shot #5 and have never had a live bird hit the ground! You can use smaller shot earlier in the season since they don't seem to have as many feathers, but I use #5's everytime.
 
The last few seasons have seen me switch from standard high base #6s to low base 7 1/2s. I've found there is little difference from my IC choke and the birds can only get so dead. Thses are wild birds, and cagey ones, sometimes. But I've folded them as far away as near 50 yds. I've been hunting roosters since the mid '70s, but adopted this latest theory within the last 4 or 5 years.
 
I too like the Fiocchi #5 nickel plated shot shells. For me as much as anything my brother shoots a copper plated shot, and we can be certain who hit the bird when we clean them. :D
 
Ahh - - the regal pheasant! In the old days, it was 12 ga. modified choke with #6 in 'mid-base' loads of ~ 3 1/4 dr equiv & 1 1/8 - 1 1/4 oz good ol' lead.

Thanks for the memories and best of hunting to you!

Regards,

Dyson
 
Sir, I haven't hunted pheasant in 20 years, but we always used to use No. 4 or 6 shot. Dad used a 20 gauge Browning A-5, and I used a 12 gauge Ithaca 37, both with modified choke. Killed birds just fine.

Funny story about pheasant hunting:

My Dad once shot a bird really quick on the rise, couldn't have been more than 15 feet from the muzzle. Feathers puffed out of him and he lurched in the air, then dropped. When we got to where he'd gone down, no pheasant. We searched in expanding circles and still couldn't find it. After about 15 minutes of this, we gave up and continued down the corn rows.

Near the end of the field, about 200 yards away, I found the dead bird, still warm. No one else was around, so it had to be Dad's pheasant. On cleaning, we found the plastic wad and shot cup in the bird! With that kind of accuracy, Dad might as well have been using a rifle.

Lesson learned: Let 'em get out a little ways before you shoot.

Hope this helps, and Semper Fi.

Ron H.
 
On my first hunt I used a 20 ga O/U with 3" mags, the first rooster came up and it looked as big as a helicopter I knocked it down and my friend took off in a run, I said its dead he said like heck its dead we never did get it, I think the long tail feathers got me a little behind, after that first year in Neb. I used 2 3/4 Federal Duck and Pheasant in #6's and they did fine. I took my Quail dog in later years and he did fine on the big birds. Jeff
 
I have never hunted Phesants, but I have friends that have, and I have hunted most other kinds of birds.

If you can use lead shot in your area, and are hunting with a SXS or an O/U then I would use highbase No6, and No4.

If you are not good with picking the correct barrel/ correct shot, then I would go with All No5's, or All No4's. 12 or 20ga.

IF I could have only one lead shot size for all birds under geese [but include Turkeys, I have shot several several dozens of turkeys], and include squirrels & rabbits, I would pick High Base No6's.

I prefer No6 even for doves and quail, I just do not like smaller shot...

For ducks on a tank/pond/river I have had excellent results with No5 Bismuth. I use Bismuth because I hunt with a few German Drillings, that are not suitable with steel shot... 12 2 3/4" or 20ga 3" works great.
 
We are just starting on this Bird hunting stuff ! and the new shells out. are new to all of us do we need a special choke to shoot the nickle/copper plated stuff ! we will all be using ! etheir remington or browning shotguns.etheir rem choked and invector plus chokes
 
The Fiocchi Golden Pheasant is the best factory loaded shell on the market IMHO. I do not use it for pheasants, but for crow and varmint shooting. The shot is very hard and is some of the roundest and patterns much better than my old stash of XX Winchester copper plated shot which I used to think was the cat's meow, until I tried the Fiocchi.

I've cut some of the other brand's "premium" loads apart and have found that in some loads, the wad petals don't even contain all of the shot column.

Modern choke tubes marked modified will shoot a modified pattern- which is likely what you are going to want. Older guns (made before the invention of steel shot) with chokes marked as modified will usually throw a full pattern with well constructed modern ammunition. The only way to know for certain is to pattern each shotgun- which should be done before taking it to the field.

Whatever you do, have a great time!!!
 
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I have been hunting Pheasant for 44 years and have always used either Winchester or Remington's. High Brass
2 3/4" #6 is my load of choice with which I have always had great results. They both work equally as well, but I just like the Winchester brand better as most of my hunting buddies use Remington or Federal and mine (the Winchesters) are red, which is easy for me to distinguish from their green and purple ones.

I would be relatively confident with just about any brand of #6 in 12 gauge for the Ring Necks, assuming they are a major brand. For Pheasants, I use an I/C or a Modified choke. My Over & Under Browning Superposed has both of those, and my Browning A-5 has an I/C choke.

Ironically, I just got back (5 hours ago) from a week long Pheasant Hunt, but this is the first time we have gotten completely "skunked"! 3 days of rain and two feet of snow sealed our fate! Not a happy camper right this moment!

Chief38
 
I would go with Chief38 suggestion with lead shot. With steel shot, you would need to go two shot size smaller. But considering you are hunting on a private game farm, lead should be okay. I would verify it with the owner first. I would also use I/C on first barrel and mod in second. Pen raised birds are relative easy to bring down and will normally sit for the dog.

A few suggestions. How many shells you bring will depend upon how well you're shooting, at the moment. We are in the middle of pheasant season here (going hunting tomorrow). In the beginning of the season, I will hit perhaps 1 of every 3 birds (if I'm lucky). Now, with enough bird contacts, I'm shooting 3 of every 4 birds. You can avoid all this by practicing clay shooting, specifically, skeet.

Find someone to teach you how to shoot skeet at the range. There is always someone who will want to show off their skills. Very simply, you want to lean into the shot, twist at the waist, lead the target and continue after the shot. One good advice: it's like sweeping (keep barrel moving) the target out of the sky. When hunting, just slow it down.

Dogs. With a pointer, walk in on a point at a 45 degree angle to the dog (so the dog can see you). The dog is suppose to stay on point. Let the handler give the dog commands. That's one thing that gets owners/handlers hot, trying to command their dogs. You job is to flush the bird. With flushers, just make sure you don't shoot the dog.

With pen raised birds, they will normally run for any kind of cover, hedgerows, stands, corn fields, etc. I find that in early morning, they will be on the edges, trying to dry out yet close to cover. If you are hunting without dogs, then hunts will be different. Birds will run. Some will circle around you, those you can kick up by stopping so often. But you can push birds towards edges where a well placed someone can kick them up.

Pheasant or any upland bird hunting is a blast. You can't have enough shells. If they have dogs to rent, then by all means go for it. Good luck and have fun.
 
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